


frisson

by sultrygoblin



Series: Public Relations [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Bucky cooks, Dinner, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23525368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sultrygoblin/pseuds/sultrygoblin
Summary: they thought the first snap had been a public relations nightmare, they had no idea what was in store after the second. juniper finds herself unwillingly promoted. and she’s got the dumbest, teenage crush on bucky barnes. fives years definitely hadn’t changed that. nothing really ever goes right, but at least sometimes she’s allowed to drink wine under her desk.frisson; a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Public Relations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692904
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	frisson

**Author's Note:**

> so this is an idea i had for public relations. this is if they got together after the snap. i think it’s cute that they have all this pining time (much more on juniper’s end) but let me know what you think

Juniper looked at her watch, even if she was the luckiest person on the planet -which she surely wasn't- she wouldn't make it in on time. Not with morning traffic. Too important to ever turn her phone on silent and not important enough for an apartment onsite, though at least the apartment they were paying for was nice. Just far, on a major highway. There was only one way she was really going to make it in on time. Making a low whining noise in her throat as she made her way to the foyer.

“Screw it,” standing by her front door, ready to go, and pausing to whip out her cell, “He owes me anyway,” scrolling through her contacts.

She was almost sure he wouldn't pick up when there was finally a click, “How can I help you, June bug?”

Rolling her eyes, “I am running crazy late and Mateo'll rip me a new one-”

The laugh was loud forcing her to pull the phone away from her ear for a minute, “You calling for a ride? You get-”

“Are you around or not?” she huffed, looking at her watch again, “I can meet you on the roof.”

Silence, “5 minutes,” he conceded with a sigh, “Zip your bag this time, I am not going back out-”

“I will,” yanking open the door and hurrying into the hallway, “I owe you.”

“Yeah, you do,” click.

She locked the door, opening the never used stair door and making her way up to the roof. The lock had been jimmied long ago and the manager had found no reason in trying to fix it. Making sure her satchel was zipped and buttoned, she zipped it under her overcoat, eyes upward. Juniper saw a night of wingmaning him – which was an amusing thought on _many_ different levels- when she could be drug away from work. Which wouldn't be anytime soon. They'd been batting second snap clean up with a three person team and a host of borrowed interns but there was still no end in sight. It's why she couldn't afford to be late now.

“You know,” he started, coming to a well practiced stop on the gravel roof, “I should've sent Buck,” seeming far to amused with the way her eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard, “That's a sneak peek of what's to come. But you're late.”

“ _Almost_ , hence,” wrapping her arms around his neck, “Don't pull anything.”

“As much as you like to think you are, you're not my boss,” taking off and catching her legs with the momentum. At least this time his ears were spared her short but ear piercing squeal.

***

She was surprised to see Mateo waiting for her on the roof, with a brush in hand, “Oh, you've got your serious face on,” she pushed out once they'd touched ground, “Let me know when you wanna cash in your drink voucher.”

“Oh that's not something I'm gonna forget,” walking backwards quickly, “Let me know when you need a ride home.”

There was a sharp pain on her skull and she turned to swipe the brush from his hands, “Boundaries, we've discussed this.”

“You're up,” holding open the door for her, “It's you, me and Jakob, this is your job now. You've been in crisis management how long now? You're the only one anyone's going to take seriously right now,” yanking at the buttons and snaps of her jacket, helping her out of it as she dragged the brush through her hair.

“I-I don't like that,” swallowing hard, shaking her head, “That's not my job, that's your job.”

“No, no. It's my job when everything is calm,” he pulled her satchel off her shoulder, gripping her by the biceps, “None of us know how to do this. But right now, you're the expert. Which I agree is terrible but,” he sighed heavily, “Try not to suck.”

“Wait does that mean-”

“Oh yeah, Sam definitely knew the whole time,” she rolled her eyes but wasn't given the chance to truly enjoy them because he was snapping in her face, “Use that or forget it, I don't care but right now you have to go in there and you have to explain to the Avengers-”

“Oh god,” her face felt hot and her knees started to wobble, “No, no. I'll Cyrano you.”

“Carino,” gripping her cheeks tightly in one hand, the other opening the front door so they could make their way across the compound, “Remember when we found out Luther was double crossing us. I _need_ you to focus like that again, alright? Freak out later, I don't care if you have to spend the rest of your day drinking wine straight from the bottle while you hide under your desk. You've been here since the department was created, you didn't get snapped, _this is your job_ , _”_ walking backwards and flashing his key card at the security guard, “Comprender?”

“Not at all,” swallowing hard, “Water?” he pulled a bottle out of his jacket pocket.

“Stick to the facts, keep it tight. Captain America mantle passed how can we'll spin that. How we're going to parcel out what happened, that sort of stuff. Take questions but no absolutes,” nodding along as she chugged down the water till the bottle crinkled, “You're hot, you're young, you're in touch with the people.”

“Oh, I hate you, I hate you,” she kept repeating over and over until she was pushed into the conference room.

Wanda. Sam. Vision. Scott. Dr. Strange. T'Challa. Carol. Not to mention who knows how many world leaders. And Bucky. This moment could only have been worse if she was in her underwear and that weird balloon animal guy from her 8th birthday was lurking in the shadows. _Alright, breath, can't do this at all if you don't breath_ , as if the words would calm her as she stepped slowly into the center of the room. All eyes on her. It was easier with each of them individually or when she was just passing along her part of the information. Definitely when the government and press weren't involved. That's why there were departments in the first place. And while everyone might've hated Thanos for what he'd done to the world right now, this moment, felt worse than all that.

“H-h-hey there guys,” at least there were familiar faces around her, “So what's up?” she shook her head, “Sorry, I mean-”

 _Screw, Mateo_.

“Alright, look. None of us really know what we're doing here. I didn't sign up for this, my business cards still say Crisis Manager and I will be taking that up with supplies. I've got 3 people who know how any of this works and a bunch of dumb 19 year olds who thought they were going to be hitting on Scarlet Witch or Ant-Man. You're real popular with women under 30, Scott. You know how I know that? Because right now Cosmo's handing out 'Scott Lang's Guide To What's Going On'. It's weird and no one likes it but,” she shrugs, “We really don't know what to do. People were gone and we all sorta started moving on and now they're all back. I mean the economy alone...” she slowed, stopping and take a deep breath, “But if you guys sit in here and hide behind these walls, it's not going to get better. Sam's out there flying around, helping out on the ground, and they're printing articles. _The Working Man's Hero: From Falcon to Captain America_. It's a good article, I texted it to all of you,” uncomfortably she pushed her hair out of her face and made eye contact with everyone of them, absolutely sure that her heart was about to escape her chest and run out of the room at any moment, “I can give you PR figures and legalese but it doesn't matter if people don't want you around. Help people out. Clean a park. Do an interview. _Anything_. I'm not your mother and I'm not going to be able to clean up everything,” it felt right to cross her arms, huff, and plop down on the edge of the riser and that's exactly what she did.

That's about when Mateo walked in with an arm full of folders, placing them at the end of the table to pass around, before approaching her, “Hey, carino,” crouching down and placing his hand on her shoulder, “Good job.”

“I would like alcohol, please,” she whispered quietly.

“I know, I know,” he nodded, helping her to her feet, “It's under your desk. Tomorrow, you take that mouth public.”

“Oh, I hate you so much.”

***

She was half way through the bottle of wine, sitting on her desk, shoes off, reliving the terrifying moment over and over. Leading to bigger and bigger gulps. Reports, media, all that, she was going to be standing in front of it on behalf of the Avengers. She squeaked, eyes wide, taking another long gulp from the bottle. A knock at the door broke the silence that had been a perfect environment for her fear.

“No one's here,” she called, holding the bottle tight to her chest. Another knock, “I'm serious, no one's here. I'm just a voice inside your head,” another knock, “Sam,” she huffed, stomping across the room, “Just one time could you not-” throwing the door open, “Oh, _ohhh_.”

“Oh?” Bucky chuckled, just a few steps away, smiling at her, “Sam mentioned that was your first time doing that, thought I'd swing by and tell you how great a job you did.”

“What?” she leaned against the door jam, sliding the wine bottle onto the side table by the couch, “No. At least tomorrow's I'll have time to prepare for.”

“That's right, you go in front of the cameras,” nodding lightly, “If you get stuck just smile.”

“Smile?” it was easier to repeat what he said because truthfully she had run out any other words.

“Definitely,” brows lowering just a bit as his smile seemed to grow, “You've got a great smile.

“ _Whaaat?”_ she shook her head, feeling her face heat up, “That's...crazy...” now from embarrassment for two different reasons.

He laughed, apparently it hadn't been quite the deterrent it was for most men, “If you get a second to eat, let me know, I'll make you something,” pointing back towards where the main compound would be with a thumb over his shoulder, “I never realized how much you guys actually do here, someone should start paying it back.”

“Sure,” happy she had begun to use the door jam to hold her up earlier in their conversation, “I'm normally there around 9.”

“Then see you around 9,” smiling brightly at her and heading down the hall.

After a few tries she managed to get the bottle back in her hand, making sure to finish it off. In fact she might've stood there forever if her phone hadn't dinged. With a staccato whine, she rolled back in the room, kicking the door closed behind her to look at the screen.

_Now you owe me two._

***

She hadn't gotten anywhere on her speech and Juniper was sure that had nothing to do at all with the midday wine nap she had taken. She couldn't stop thinking about that morning, tomorrow, the whole conversation with Bucky, what Sam's text meant-

“No, noooope, I'm not doing this.”

Pushing away from the desk, the clock on her wall read 8:30, close enough to dinner time. She could spend the walk to the compound being terrified over just one thing, which was being alone in a room with Bucky for totally not work related reasons. That was a perfectly reasonable thing to be anxious about, tomorrow she would freak out about having nothing prepared. She stepped into the hall, pulling on her jacket, straight into Jakob.

“Where you been hiding, old man?” she asked, yanking her hair over the collar of her jacket.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, “Someone's gotta do the dirty work while you're busy being the face.”

“I didn't sign up for that.”

He laughed, smile lines crinkling across her face, “That's why you're so good at it. You're just telling people what you'd want to know,” she sighed trying to pull out of his group but he held a little tighter, “Little early for dinner isn't it? This wouldn't have to do with-”

“Not you to,” she rolled her eyes, this time managing to wiggle out of her grip, “Go, make shady underground deals with governments. _Do your job_.”

He pressed his hands to his heart, pretending to be wounded as he continued onward and she did as well. Hands in her pocket, she made her way across the compound, this hour forcing her to swipe her card. Which she liked much more, evening guards got chatty and she was in no mood for chatty. She had a daydream scenario to ruin with over thinking. Thankfully the kitchen was empty, but there still wasn't a whole lot of ready made food going around. A sandwich was quick, she'd pass him in the hallway and make plans for another time. When she could properly prepare. Maybe in a month.

“My specialty is fish,” she heard from behind, realizing lettuce was not completely necessary for a sandwich but far too late for it to matter, “You gonna come out of there?”

Shooting up, she spun around, closing the door behind her, “I was just-”

“Hiding in the fridge. Sam said you'd do that,” leaning against the counter with a smirk, he'd clearly just finished some sort of work out and it should be illegal for him to walk around like that, “He didn't say why,” cocking his head to the side, hair slicked ever so slightly back from sweat.

“Um,” finding there really wasn't any other place to look that made sense and worried what facing the beast head on might do, “Well, Sam's kind of a dick so...”

It was a loud chuckle, the kind that just bursts out and can't be stopped, she can feel the corners of her lips twitching, “It's nice of you to slide that kind of in,” her facing is heating up, “Seriously, I do pretty good with a fillet and some cast iron.”

“Alright,” stepping away from the fridge and around the counter, giving him a wide birth because she wanted to be proud of her baby step instead of being anxious about if she'd stepped too close to him, “Do you brood while you do that too?”

“Oh,” he raising his eyebrows as he stepped towards the fridge, “I wonder where that girl from this morning had gone.”

“I had a wine nap, sue me,” climbing into one of the seats on the counter, “Tell me what you're doing.”

“Why?” he asked, gathering ingredients in broads arms, “Don't know how to cook,” setting them all on the counter and organizing them in a way that only he seemed to understand.

“Surely even back when you were a kid, before fire and all, you must've heard of the Hayes,” he nodded slowly, looking up at her after a moment, very slowly, “So, you gonna tell me what you're doing or not?”

“ _Bossy_ ,” before yanking the saran wrapped, Styrofoam from the counter, “First, always, make sure there's no bones.”

Juniper crinkled her nose.

***

“Fish and greens,” she nodded, watching him drop the plate in front of her, “You really did go Tarzan for a bit.”

“You're going to eat those words after you take one bit of this,” sliding into the seat next to her, which was a lit closer than either have had noticed.

“No,” loading a bite up on her fork, “I will never take back Tarzan,” and shoving the heaping thing in her open mouth.

She groaned, using her fork to point at the plate while nodding, “Yeah, why's that?”

That sudden bashfulness took over again, he wasn't a fan of it, and Bucky decided right then and there to figure out why exactly she kept doing that, “No reason,” she answered quietly through her bit before quickly taking another one, “It's really good,” turning her eyes quickly down to her plate.

“Why do you keep doing that?” he had meant to keep the thought inside his head but it came out. Just a whisper, that he could have covered when he hummed with confusion because she hadn't quite caught it, “Why do you keep doing that?” well that was one way to figure it out.

“What-” she dropped her fork with a clatter, hand darting to the back of her neck, “What do you mean?” tugging on the short hairs there to keep her hands from becoming to animated.

“You know what I'm talking about, Juniper,” it's the first time she's ever heard him say her name and it does things to her, “We're having a nice quiet dinner, if you can't open up here-”

“Sam knows I have a thing for you,” it just came tumbling out, she took a long drink from her cup and pilled more food on a fork and into her mouth, as if somehow she could trick him into believing he'd imagined it and she'd been eating the whole time.

“Who knows what now?” it was clear she was not going to repeat it.

They ate quietly as he played it in his head again, she was rinsing her dish in the sink when he'd finally managed to unjumble the last of it, “You?”

“Look, we really don't have to talk about it. I'd prefer if we didn't,” wiping her hands dry with a dish rag and throwing it on the counter, “Thank you for dinner, it was wonderful,” making to move out of the kitchen and back towards the offices.

It was a strange sensation, being stopped in your feet by a metal hand, and it almost took her feet out from under her. She managed to catch herself. _Barely_. She looked down at it, up and under his t-shirt that had dried -thankfully- as they had eaten. To his face, where he looked far too amused.

“What?” she couldn't help eyeing him suspiciously, “Why are you looking at me like that?” he laughed a bit, the kind she always gave Mateo when we wanted her to fit 20 pounds of silver in a 5 pounds bag. _Have you not being paying attention?_ It seemed to say.

“Did you not know this was a date?”

“A huh what now?” Blinking rapidly at him, “This is a date?”

He nodded, “Yeah,” as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “I'm pretty rusty but I'm pretty sure I made that clear,” cocking his head to the side and looking at her softly.

“I just,” how much worse could it really get? “I just didn't think you'd be interested-”

“Oh no, I am,” there was a bit of that brood in it, her breath hitched in her throat. This was that sexy stuff that happened to superheroes, “I'd be glad to try again though.”

He was moving closer and she really didn't quite know what to do with that, “Yeah, that'd be nice. I know _a lot_ of good restaurants.”

“I'm sure you do,” leaning down, the room was far too warm, and anyone could just walking in.

He smelt so good, something spicy, sweet and somehow musky in a way she definitely wasn't going to forget any time soon, “Are you gonna kiss me?”

The laugh is breathy, his hand is on her cheek, he has to feel how hot her face is – there's a bit of sweat prickly along the brows- but he doesn't seem to care, “I'm trying.”

“Right,” letting her eyes flutter closed, another useless question passed through her mind and she opened her mouth.

Juniper had never been kissed like that before, it really was like the movies, and she felt almost like a camera should be slowly zooming in on them with perfect lighting and just the right amount of lense flare. Which is the first and only thought she manages. Her knees buckled, ready to take her down, suddenly her arm was free and circled around her waist. Not just enough to keep her up but lift her off the ground. She squeaked, hands clinging to his shoulders to steady herself, and sliding across the well defined muscles there. It's as if something shifted. Her teeth grazed across his bottom lip, not having to worry about garlic breath when they both had it. Smiling, he slipped his tongue past her lips and her knee began to bend at the intrusion.

“June bug, have you know shame?” she pulled away sharply, deer in the headlights, “I'm not a T-Rex.”

She expected Bucky to drop her, “You were supposed to tell her it was a date.”

“I did!” but she heard the snicker in his voice. She shook her head, “Who you gonna believe man?”

“I don't think you're to good a liar,” he looked at her dead on, planting a kiss on her cheek before dropping her to the ground.

She turned, glaring daggers at the intruder, “I'll meet you outside and you can take me home,” it came through gritted teeth, no matter how attempted a cheery tone was.

“Yup, I'm gonna pay for that,” spinning on his heels.

She exhaled slowly, everything beginning to settle in her mind, “Um, you mentioned a second date?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did,” grinning at her, “But I'm a very classy lady, you can't take me just anywhere.”

“Oh, no no no,” shaking her head, taking a shaking step backwards, “But he's my ride so...gotta go.”

Raising a brow, he rubbed the back of his neck, “I'll find you tomorrow, shouldn't be to hard.”

“No, no,” she shook her head, glancing over her shoulder, then back at him, “He can wait two more minutes.”

“Oh, he more than deserves it.”

This time Juniper gets to enjoy being swept off her feet.

* * *

“Hey,” Sam whispered, dragging Bucky's attention to the back of the procession, “You know, she's gonna be real worked up after that,” crossing his arms over his chest, “She could use someone to talk to.”

“What? You need me to cover you?” shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh god,” rubbing his hands across his face, “Oh you're both so stupid, I can't stand it. Go. Ask. Her. Out.”

“Out where?” he fumbled, hissing with a wince as he realized the admission that came with it, “She's not gonna want to go out.”

“Make her dinner. She loves a good dinner after a wine nap,” he shook his head at the questioning eyes he received, “Oh no, I'll leave that a surprise.”


End file.
